The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-05
A REUNITED FAMILY.
Struggles of a Brave Wife and
Sensitive Husband.

Ernest Burnett was for many reasons a
man to be envied. He enjoyed the entire
confidence of the firm of Whitehead d Co.,
in w hose service he had been for nearly
twenty years; he lived in the most pictur-
+esque of villas at that most picturesque of
suburbs, Eltheath, and with his young wife
and three children, the eldest of whom was
about five years old, enjoyed life in a quiet,
unobtrusiye sort of way to the fullest. AL
though his position was an excellent one
and he had been given to understand that
he would be taken in as a partner by White
head ~ Co. at no distant data, so far from
being intoxicated with success, he seemed
to become more retiring and secluded in his
habits than ever and dreaded the most Or
binary publicity as terrible ordeal, in spite
OF the representations of his wife that it
would do him good to emerge more from his
shell, and that his natural timidity and SEN
'sitveness would only be intensified by be-
ing humored. Indeed, Mrs. Burnett went 50
far as to say that this unfortunate failing
would be actually prejudicial to him, and put
1t before him plainly, if he himself would not
regard with curiosity, nay even suspicion,
the man who colored up violently, who
stammered and faltered when addressed,
and who had recourse to all sorts of shifts
tal'd eXpedients to get away from the COM
pany of his fellow-men.
She was quite right, and there were not
wanting at Eltheath ill-natured and envious
people who whispered that there was mys-
terry about Ernest Burnett, and that some
day it would transpire that he was not what
he represented himself to be. Prominent
among these was certain Mr.. Target--a
consequential, high-nosed individual who
was pillar of the church, and general
meddler in other peoples affairs, but who,
like so many local big-drum players, was
reputed to be man of keen discernment
and profound knowledge of the world
''When a man." Mr.. Target would say,
<-caR't look you in the face as he talks to
you, and shakes your hand as if he were
afraid of infection, and colors up when
little boy asks him the time, distrust him.
Mind, say, emphatically, that l know moth
hing against Burnett, but if looks are induces
OF guilt, and manner can inspire suspicion,
and Eltheath people generally are very
much deceived in him"
Under the circumstances it was but nat
Hral that the flock of old ladies to whom
Target was shepherd should begin to think
shat there was something wrong about
Ernest Burnett; but, to the credit of
Eltheath DO it said, the majority of folk
believed nothing Of the kind, and put Mr..
Target down as an envious, mischief-mak-
ing snob. One evening Ernest Burnett re-
turned home at a latee hour than usual,
and by his face and manner his wife at once
OWNED that there was something wrong at
the Office. Before pressing him for the
reason of his anxious, uneasy looks how
ever, she allowed dinner to pass over and
waited until the children had gone to bed.
Then she took his hand in hers and asked
him what had taken place.
'Well, my darling" he replied, ''the fact
is the firm has been robbed. A very clever
forgery has been effected, and hitherto all
efforts to trace the perpetrator have failed
But that is not the worst"
He paused, and his wife saw that he was
.eIdeavoring to control violent emotion.
''rhe worst is" he continued, ''that am
suspected
The poor little woman turned deadly pale,
and said:
"You suspected, Ernest You, who have
been faithful servant for so many years,
and whom they are going to make part
ner! Impossible! 1 can't believe itp'
-'But it is true, dear" said her husband,
in low voice. God knows that am limo
cent, for want nothing that should induce
me to commit such a crime But they sus-
pect me, nevertheless, and l believe that
nothing else but my unfortunate manner
/. has made them suspect me.n
''But, dearest, if they can't prove it, we
need not fear,n said his wife.
II do not fear for that" said Ernest
'''But to think that men with whom have
worked so long should suspect me; that is
a terrible thing, far more terrible to me,
perhaps, than to many men,"
For the first time during their married
life husband and wife spent a long, miser-
able evening Invain Mrs. Burnett endeav-
sored to get her husband to the piano, or to
abstract him from the misery in which he
was plunged by singing to him in the sweet
voice which had captivated him in years
gone by, the simple, old fashioned English
ditties he loved so well. He sat idle and
SILENT with his face buried in his hands,
dead, apparently, TO the presence of the
wife he loved so dearly, unconscious how
the hours were creeping by, and startled at
every sound or movement On the railway
platform the next morning it was whispered
among the city men there assembled that
Ernest Burnett had been arrested in
his house at late hour on the previous
night on charge Of forgery, and Mr.. Tar
get wagged his head complacently. OF the
long weeks Of agonizing suspense passed
by poor Mrs Burnett during the interval